It Could Still Be Considered a Fruitful Return

Chapter 45: It Could Still Be Considered a Fruitful Return

There might be hidden mechanisms and concealed weapons in the secret chamber. Going down rashly would be too dangerous.

If Bai Yan had been weak, he might have sent his subordinates to scout ahead.

But Bai Yan himself was powerful, so he certainly could not let his subordinates risk their lives.

They had no grievances against one another, and Bai Yan's heart was not that dark. He had no intention of eliminating anyone who stood in his way. Besides, these men would all become his trusted subordinates in the future. If they died, he would suffer a huge loss.

After sending a subordinate to inform Zheng Haihan, Bai Yan led the way and entered the secret passage with two squads of Imperial Guards.

The secret passage was not narrow. Two people could walk side by side with room to spare, and the steps were paved with bluestone slabs.

Torches had been placed along the stone walls on both sides, illuminating the passage brightly.

At the end of the passage, a huge stone door appeared before their eyes.

However, the mechanism beside the stone door had already been destroyed.

Looks like we came one step too late!

Bai Yan sighed inwardly.

Now he finally knew why Su Leng Huan had arrived so late. She had probably delayed herself to destroy everything inside this secret chamber.

Thinking of this, Bai Yan circulated his true qi to its fullest and struck the stone door with one palm.

After a thunderous boom, the stone door split apart.

A corridor behind the stone door was revealed.

Bai Yan swept his eyes over the corridor and the stone walls on either side, then casually drew a Spring Embroidered Saber from the waist of an Imperial Guard behind him.

With a flick of his blade, the Spring Embroidered Saber instantly shattered, transforming into twenty or thirty blades that shot forward.

A series of whooshing sounds rang out as the blades embedded themselves in the corridor and the stone walls on both sides.

The mechanism was triggered in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, countless arrows shot from the stone walls on both sides of the secret passage, densely covering the floor until it looked like a hedgehog.

Those arrowheads were incomparably sharp. They had pierced several inches into the bluestone. Looking more closely, one could see a glossy black substance coating the arrowheads. Clearly, they had been dipped in a deadly poison that killed with a single drop of blood.

Even the slightest scrape would be enough to kill someone instantly.

"That was close! Thank goodness you were so vigilant, my lord!"

Ren Hong spoke respectfully from the side.

"My lord's quick wit and sharp mind are truly admirable! This subordinate is utterly convinced!"

Li Kaiyao was afraid of being too late and hurriedly joined in with the flattery.

Bai Yan remained expressionless and said nothing as he led everyone across the corridor.

At the end of the corridor was another stone door. Just as before, the mechanism for opening it had already been destroyed.

Bai Yan again shattered the stone door with one palm, and a wave of heat immediately rushed toward them.

Beyond this stone door was the true secret chamber. However, by now, the chamber had already become a sea of flames.

Just as Bai Yan had guessed, they had arrived too late.

The flames in the secret chamber soared into the sky, and the documents on the bookshelves had long since been burned to ashes.

Even if they sent people to extinguish the fire and salvage what they could now, they probably would not find anything useful.

"Bad news—we came too late!"

Ren Hong, Li Kaiyao, and the others looked shocked, their hearts unwilling to accept it.

They had thought they had found the Demonic Cult's headquarters and could earn great merit. They had never expected all their efforts to end with an empty basket.

"Let's go. There's nothing worth investigating here anymore."

Bai Yan shook his head and turned to leave.

Judging by the Demonic Cult's usual methods, Su Leng Huan would not have revealed herself unless she had already destroyed all useful information.

Since she had dared to show herself, it proved that this secret chamber had long since lost its value.

After leaving the underground secret chamber, Bai Yan saw Centurion Zheng Haihan waiting outside.

"How was it? What did you gain?"

Zheng Haihan asked.

Bai Yan shook his head. "The secret chamber was completely burned by the great fire. There isn't a single clue."

"Alas, what a pity."

Zheng Haihan also shook his head, a trace of regret in his voice.

They had finally destroyed a Demonic Cult stronghold, only to gain nothing in the end. It felt somewhat incomplete.

"It doesn't matter. At least Xiao Yiping and Su Leng Huan are still in our hands."

Bai Yan smiled.

"We should be able to obtain some useful information from the two of them."

"I hope so."

Zheng Haihan nodded slightly and gave the order in a loud voice:

"Withdraw!"

At his command, several hundred Imperial Guards withdrew from Yiping Villa in grand fashion.

At the rear, the Imperial Guards worked in pairs, carrying one large wooden chest after another sealed with strips of paper. Those were the spoils from this confiscation.

Some would be handed over to the national treasury, while some would remain in the Pacification Bureau as rewards.

Of course, many of the Imperial Guard soldiers responsible for the confiscation had already made a fortune.

Bai Yan saw that their clothes were stuffed so full they bulged, clearly showing that they had not missed out on plundering good things.

No wonder people said that serving as an Imperial Guard for ten years was not as profitable as conducting a single confiscation.

A little casual scavenging was enough to make a huge fortune.

This time, they had only raided a Demonic Cult outpost, so there had not been much to skim.

If they encountered the household of a corrupt official, that would truly be something to savor.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Just as the procession stepped out of Yiping Villa's main gate, two concealed weapons shot toward Xiao Yiping and Su Leng Huan with lightning speed.

Clearly, someone had come to silence them.

"How dare you!"

Zheng Haihan reacted extremely quickly. With a slight movement, he raised his hand and caught one of the concealed weapons.

Bai Yan was no slower. He reached out and caught a three-inch Golden Dart between two fingers. The technique he had just used was none other than Spiritual Rhinoceros Finger.

The assassin hiding in the darkness was evidently well versed in the art of killing. When the first strike failed, he had no intention of lingering in battle and instantly fled into the distance.

By the time Zheng Haihan and Bai Yan looked up, the man's figure had already vanished far away.

The commotion caused by the Imperial Guards earlier had been far from small. Now, Yiping Villa was surrounded by countless commoners and Martial World figures. With the crowd so mixed, no one could say how many Demonic Cult traitors were still lurking among them.

If they pursued rashly, they might instead fall for the stratagem of luring the tiger away from the mountain. Thus, neither Zheng Haihan nor Bai Yan moved.

"Return directly to the Pacification Bureau!"

Zheng Haihan's expression was solemn. His eyes swept over the surroundings like bolts of lightning, while inner force surged through his palm and crushed the Golden Dart into powder.

Afterward, everyone hurried back to the Northern Commandery Investigation Bureau at top speed.

When they returned to the Northern Commandery Investigation Bureau, Bai Yan happened to see another Centurion leading his men back.

However, unlike Bai Yan's group, who had returned bearing the air of a great victory, that squad wore uncertain expressions and was filled with the frustration of defeat.

It seemed their mission had failed.

"Lord Zheng, you've stolen the limelight again this time."

The middle-aged Centurion cupped his hands toward Zheng Haihan as he spoke, his tone thick with sourness.

"Hahahaha, it was merely good luck. We only happened to capture a Heavenly Gang Hall Master. It hardly counts as a great gain."

Zheng Haihan stroked his beard and laughed heartily.

Though his words were humble, the smugness on his face was completely unconcealed.

Although they had found nothing in the secret chamber, capturing Su Leng Huan alive already counted as a great achievement.

Compared with the other Imperial Guard squads that had returned empty-handed, theirs was the most triumphant.

Zheng Haihan swaggered into the Northern Commandery Investigation Bureau at the head of his squad. Watching his back, the Centurion could not help cursing under his breath:

"That old bastard sure has incredible luck!"

"Why do these good things never happen to me?"

As he spoke, the Centurion turned to glance at the four Hundred-Man Commanders behind him and began to scold them:

"Isn't it because all of you are too useless? You're all Hundred-Man Commanders, so how can the gap between you be this great?"

"Look at Bai Yan, then look at yourselves. Sigh... forget it... I can't even be bothered to say anything more..."

At that moment, his heart was filled with helplessness.

What was he supposed to do after ending up with such a useless bunch of subordinates? It was not as though he could simply get rid of them.

The four Hundred-Man Commanders had suffered an undeserved calamity. Their eyes were blank, and huge question marks appeared over their foreheads.

Centurion, do you want to hear what you're saying yourself?

The Demonic Cult fiends received the news and withdrew in advance. We only found an empty shell when we arrived. What does that have to do with our abilities?

The four Hundred-Man Commanders wore pained expressions.

They wanted to argue but did not dare open their mouths. In the end, they could only swallow their anger.

Alas, what should you do when you end up with such a difficult superior? I really want to change jobs.

Ding! The host has successfully destroyed a Demonic Cult stronghold and captured a Heavenly Gang Hall Master alive. The demon-subduing mission has been completed. Would you like to claim the reward?

Bai Yan had just stepped through the gate of the Northern Commandery Investigation Bureau when the system's pleasant notification rang out.